New Hampshire State Representative Jared Sullivan (D) says he is drafting a new recreational marijuana legalization bill after Democrats won control of both legislative chambers in Tuesday’s election. Sullivan, who sponsored the legalization bill that cleared the House earlier this year, says he is open to negotiating with Republicans on the new proposal.
“There’s obviously room for negotiation if there’s something that can make this bipartisan,” Sullivan told WMUR. “We’re not looking to just jam things down the throats of Republicans or people in the state.”
Some Democratic lawmakers told the station they would like to work with Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte, who won reelection and has continued to oppose recreational legalization.
Democrats are projected to hold 292 of the 400 House seats and 15 of the 24 Senate seats. An override requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber. With all 24 senators voting, Democrats would need just one Republican vote to override a veto, if all 15 Democrats voted in favor.
Sullivan’s previous proposal, House Bill 186, would have legalized possession and sales for adults 21 and older and established a regulated market. The House approved the bill in January, but the Republican-controlled Senate voted 15 to 9 to table it in March.
New Hampshire remains the only New England state where recreational marijuana is illegal. Lawmakers from both parties joined in August to override Ayotte’s veto of a narrower measure allowing medical marijuana providers to grow in greenhouses. The Senate override passed 16 to 8, with eight Democrats and eight Republicans voting in favor.
New Hampshire was recently included on our list of the States Most Likely to Legalize Recreational Marijuana in 2027, alongside states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
